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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27475315">Bloody Beauty</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/noladyme/pseuds/noladyme'>noladyme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skip To My Lou, My Darling [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Fluff, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:56:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27475315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/noladyme/pseuds/noladyme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The road so far…</p><p>A little over a year ago Lulu met, fell for, was saved by – and finally – lost a man like no other she had ever met. Now, in a different city – with a completely different life – she faces new dangers; and a ghost from the past.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skip To My Lou, My Darling [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007559</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The music was pumping loudly at Buddies. The air was stale with bad perfume and spilled drinks; and my top was too tight.<br/>“Lolita!”, Raul called after me. “Your friends are back”.<br/>I took a deep breath, and put on my fakest grin; walking towards the two men at the end of the bar.<br/>“Hi, boys, what can I get you?”, I asked.</p><p>The two men were both already deep into their third beers. They were both wearing flannel shirts over t-shirts – a painful reminder of some good friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. One of them, I’d never see again.</p><p>The taller of the men – ironically enough a brunette with shaggy hair – smirked at me.<br/>“Well, your number would be a good start”, he jeered.<br/>I grimaced apologetically.<br/>“Sorry, buddy. We have a strict don’t date the costumer’s policy in this place”.<br/>He frowned at me.<br/>“Really?”, he asked.<br/>“Nope…”, I said. “It’s just me. Now what’ll you have?”.<br/>The shorter of the two laughed.<br/>“Another pair of cold ones, honey”, he smiled. <br/>I walked away. Honey. The word made me cringe.</p><p>I walked back towards Raul, who was bending over to grab some ciders from the fridge behind the bar.<br/>I patted his firm butt.<br/>“Grab me a couple of cold one’s. And make them warm”.<br/>He chuckled, and rubbed the spot my hand had hit.<br/>“That’s gonna leave a mark, Lulu”, he grinned; and handed me two beers from a crate beside the fridge. “You’ll have to explain that to Justin”.<br/>I furrowed my brows.<br/>“What happened to Mark?”, I asked.<br/>Raul stood up and frowned at me.<br/>“His wife found out”.<br/>“Ouch…”, I winced. “Sorry”.<br/>Raul shrugged.<br/>“It’s fine. He always cried during…”.<br/>“I don’t want to know!”, I laughed.</p><p>I walked back to my admirers, and put the beers down in front of them, taking the empty ones, and the 10-dollar bill they handed me.<br/>“Seriously though, Lulu”, the tall one said. “I’d really just like to get to know you. You seem…”.<br/>“I’m going now”, I said, and walked away.</p><p>A group of sorority girls with very fake id’s, were trying to flirt with Raul to get him to change the playlist.<br/>“Sorry ladies, I’m not in charge of it. You’ll have to talk to Lulu over there”, he smiled, and gestured towards me.<br/>I rolled my eyes.<br/>“Just let them. We’ll never hear the end of it”.</p><p>The group of girls squealed in delight.<br/>“Ok, what’s the song?”, Raul said; and a busty blonde leaned across the bar to whisper in his ear. He grinned. “Retro… I like it!”.<br/>He came over to where I was standing by the music system’s computer.<br/>“I can’t believe you let them do that”, he smiled. “You’re gonna hate their song”.<br/>“Why?”, I asked.<br/>“You’re in to all that classic rock stuff”, he replied.</p><p>He clicked around on the computer for a moment; when suddenly a soft guitar began playing out the speakers.<br/>I swallowed hard.<br/>“Lying in your arms, so close together. Didn't know just what I had. Now I toss and turn, ‘cause I'm without you. How I'm missing you so bad”.<br/>I swallowed hard – feeling like someone punched me in the chest.<br/>“Yeah, I hate it. I’m gonna step outside for a moment”, I muttered.<br/>He put a hand on my shoulder.<br/>“Are you ok, Lolita?”, he asked.<br/>I nodded.<br/>“Yeah…”, I said. “Just need air”.</p><p>I took off my apron, and passed the dancing sorority girls; who were singing along – very badly – to the song.<br/>“I lie awake. I drive myself crazy, drive myself crazy – thinking of you”.<br/>I hadn’t been laying awake lately. I’d been sleeping just fine, without any nightmares where I was killing people; and it was all due to – in part – a man I’d met, fallen for; and lost – all in just three days.</p><p>The air outside was chilly and refreshing. A few people where stood around smoking and laughing. It was Friday evening after all, and Denver had enough colleges to fill any bar with students willing to pay for overprized booze.<br/>I stood for a while, taking a few deep breaths of the night air, before regaining my senses, and stepping back inside.</p><p>Passing a table of frat boys; I felt a hand on my ass. I reached back, and grabbed the thumb of the hand; bending it backwards.<br/>“Ow! What the hell, lady?”, the man who’d made unwelcome grasp for my butt yelped.<br/>Raul came up next to me, in all his bodybuilding glory.<br/>“Get out”, he said menacingly. “Now!”.<br/>The guys at the table grumbled, but got up to leave.<br/>“I’ll have my dad’s lawyer call you!”, the grabber sneered – his blue eyes ablaze with rage.<br/>I smirked.<br/>“Go ahead. I don’t have a penny he can take, anyway”.</p><p>Raul put an arm around me, and led me back behind the bar.<br/>“You know, you pinch my butt all the time”, he muttered.<br/>“I thought we had an understanding”, I said. “I’ll stop”.<br/>Raul grinned.<br/>“Nah, go ahead. Reminds me why I’m in to men”.<br/>“Ouch!”, I winced, and slapped his butt hard. “Thanks for teaching me that trick, by the way”.</p><p>The evening turned into night, and a makeshift dancefloor was created by the sorority girls – as they began moving around tables.<br/>I groaned internally as they once again went up to Raul, to get him to change the music. At least they’d moved on to something a little closer to my taste; as Celebrity Skin began blasting.<br/>I poured myself a shot of whiskey, and downed it.<br/>“Is it dancing time yet, Lolita?”, Raul yelled at me.<br/>“You know it is!”, I grinned, and climbed onto the bar, as my laughing friend began moving bottles around for me to be able to move.<br/>“Hey, so glad you could make it. Yeah, now you’ve really made it. Hey, there’s only us left now!”, I screamed along; while dancing around on the bar counter; and sending winks at the screaming girls, who were whooping at me. The blonde was clapping her hands at me, and threw up her arms – almost knocking over her friend’s drink. The friend, who seemed to have perfect skin – I was constantly in awe of how these college girls could afford facials – looked at the blonde in annoyance for a second.<br/>“Shots for the ladies, Raul!”, I yelled; and the bartender poured a round of our cheapest booze into some shot glasses, handing them over to the squealing girls. I downed one myself; before stumbling, and nearly falling off the bar.</p><p>Raul helped me down, and gave me a hug.<br/>“You feeling better?”.<br/>“Yeah”, I grinned.<br/>“Good, ‘cuz the table in the corner needs drinks”, he smiled, and handed me two cold Buds.<br/>I frowned.<br/>“No more dancing, girls”, I said to the sorority sisters. “Gotta do my job now”.<br/>They frowned right back at me; as I walked away.</p><p>In the deepest, darkest corner of the bar – only lit up by a single bulb hanging over it, sat two men, deep in conversation. They were both wearing flannels, and I sighed.<br/>“I thought I just got you drinks”, I said; facing the two men – and instantly dropped the beers on the floor.</p><p>“You’re dead…”, I breathed, and stepped backwards, away from the broken glass at my feet.<br/>Dean Winchester looked at me with wide eyes.<br/>“Lou?”, he croaked.<br/>I looked at the other man – his brother, Sam.<br/>“You told me… Dean was…”.<br/>I shook my head, and quickly walked away from the table, and out the back door – into the alleyway behind it.</p><p>I heard the door open and close behind me.<br/>“Lulu… I’m sorry”, Sam was saying. Dean was standing just behind him.<br/>“How long?”. He looked down. “How long, Sam?”, I growled.<br/>“9 months”, he admitted.<br/>“9 months… ok”. I took a deep breath and walked over to the tall man – smacking him hard across the face.<br/>Sam stumbled backwards.</p><p>Dean stepped forward.<br/>“Lou, it wasn’t…”. I stepped over to him, and gave him the same treatment.<br/>“You…! Don’t talk right now”. I turned back to Sam. “We spent a week together, Sam”, I said.<br/>Dean frowned, and looked at his brother.<br/>“I know”, Sam muttered.<br/>“You saw me! I was… Oh my god…”. I began heaving for breath.</p><p>Dean ran over to me, and put a hand on my back.<br/>“Are you ok?”, he asked.<br/>“Don’t touch me”, I snarled, and shrugged him off. </p><p>Raul came running outside. He’d taken off his shirt, and was standing in only his tank top – showing off every rip of muscle he had.<br/>“Is everything ok here?”, he snarled.<br/>I simultaneously nodded and shook my head.<br/>“Yes… no”, I said.<br/>“You guys should probably leave now”, Raul said, and stepped between me and Dean. Dean visibly tensed up.</p><p>I grabbed the bartender’s hand.<br/>“It’s fine, Raul”, I muttered. “They’re old… friends”.<br/>He looked at me, narrowing his eyes.<br/>“Do you usually run away from friends, Lolita?”.<br/>Lolita?, Dean mouthed.<br/>“Really, I’m ok…”, I said. “Just go… get them fresh beers. They’re paying costumers after all”.<br/>“Sure, mami?”, Raul asked.<br/>I nodded.<br/>Raul gave Dean one last look, and went back inside.</p><p>I looked up at the brothers.<br/>“You two… go back inside”, I said. “Have your drinks. Then leave. And don’t come back”.<br/>“We can leave right now…”, Dean growled.<br/>“We can’t…”, Sam muttered. “We have a case”.<br/>“Of course you do”, I sighed.</p><p>I went back inside; and when I looked over my shoulders, I saw the brothers go back to their table.<br/>Behind the bar, Raul gave me a concerned look, as I poured myself another shot, and downed it. <br/>I changed the music again; putting on Call Me by Blondie.<br/>“How are those drinks coming?”, I asked Raul.<br/>“You want me to spit in them?”, he asked.<br/>“No… Those two have enough problems as it is”.<br/>I grabbed the beers, and walked back to the table.</p><p>“Are you trying to tell us something?”, Sam asked. Dean wouldn’t look at me.<br/>“What?”, I sneered.<br/>“The music?”. Sam tried for a smile.<br/>I put the beers down hard on the table.<br/>“Enjoy”, I grinned as fake as I could; and walked away.</p><p>About an hour later Dean and Sam still hadn’t left – and I wasn’t sure I actually wanted them to leave either.<br/>I was well into my sixth shot, and second beer; and Raul was doing his best to keep my spirit up.<br/>“So… he kissed you. Then told you he was dying… And now he’s back? What a dick!”.<br/>I nodded.<br/>“I know, right?”, I yelled over the music.<br/>“He’s kind of hot, though”, Raul said.<br/>I sighed.<br/>“I know”, I admitted.<br/>“Did you two…?”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“I think he’s impotent”, I said.</p><p>I was getting quite drunk at this point; and when Bad Medicine came on, I once again climbed on to the bar – trying to dance my worries away.<br/>I noticed Dean had moved towards the bar to grab a new round for him and Sam; but I did my best to ignore him<br/>“Shake it up, just like Bad Medicine!”. I was shaking with the best of them; when I saw the busty sorority blonde sending Dean eyes, and walking over to him. He gave her a warm smile, when she put her hand on his chest.<br/>I crouched in front of the pair; and looked down at them.<br/>“Sweetie… been there, done that. Got the clap”.<br/>The girl winced, and quickly retreated.</p><p>Dean looked up at me, narrowing his eyes.<br/>“Thanks for that…”, he grunted. “Bon Jovi now?”.<br/>“A very underestimated band”, I smiled. “Why are you still here?”.<br/>“Paying costumer… cute bartenders”, he smirked.<br/>I smiled.<br/>“Yeah I know. Raul is hot!”. I winked at my friend, who blew me a kiss and winked back at me.<br/>“Boyfriend?”, Dean asked – trying to hide the distaste in his voice.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“He’s a boy who’s a friend”.<br/>“Huh”, Dean grunted. “Another round, please”, he said, and held out a twenty.<br/>I grabbed the note, and stood up.<br/>“Coming right up!”, I said, and went to step down from the bar; when I slipped, and fell forwards, right into Deans arms.</p><p>“Whoa, Lou. Bit sauced, aren’t we?”.<br/>He put me on my feet in front of him, and I tried to frown without giggling.<br/>“You’re still cute… but you’re a dick too. It’s not a good combination”.<br/>Dean shook his head.<br/>“Hey, boyfriend!”, he called towards Raul. “I’m gonna drive the lady home. You got a problem with that?”.<br/>“No you’re not”, I tried.<br/>“Yeah, I am”, Dean said, and gestured for Sam to come over.</p><p>Raul came over to look at me.<br/>“You good with that, Lulu?”, he asked.<br/>“Absolutely…”, I said; before looking at Dean. “Did I say not?”, I whispered.<br/>“Sure”, he muttered.<br/>“Ok, then…”.</p><p>“I’m gonna need your name, man”, Raul said.<br/>“Malcolm Young. You want my social security too?”, Dean grumbled; still trying to keep me upright.<br/>I patted his cheek and laughed.<br/>“No, you’re not! You’re John Osbourne…”, I said. Raul frowned.<br/>Dean sighed.<br/>“Alias. We’re FBI”. Sam had come over to join us, and they both held up some badges.</p><p>“Hi, Sam!”, I said. “You’re here too!”.<br/>Sam stifled a grin.<br/>“What did she drink?”, he asked.<br/>“Wheee… skey”, I laughed, before looking seriously at Raul. “Going with these men would be a very bad idea, Raul”.<br/>“They’re feds”, Raul shrugged.<br/>I nodded fiercely.<br/>“Yes… fed hunters… feddy hunters”. I sighed deeply. “I love you, Raul”.</p><p>My friend looked at Sam, who gave his best impression of a very trustworthy man.<br/>“Ok, Lulu. Just call me tomorrow, ok?”.<br/>“Yes!”, I smiled. “I shall absolutely use my telephone to dial your number, and communicate with you”.<br/>Raul laughed, handed Sam my phone, and went back to serve some patrons.</p><p>Dean began leading me towards the door.<br/>“Wait… what’s happening?”, I asked.<br/>“I’m taking you home”, Dean said.<br/>“No, you absolutely are not”, I said; trying to push him off me.<br/>“Yes, I am. You can hardly stand”.<br/>“Can hardly stand you!”, I said. “Hey. I’m funny. Hi Sam!”. I grinned at the younger brother again.<br/>“Hi Lulu. Why don’t you give us your address…”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“Nope. Not happening”, I said. “But come here, and I’ll whisper it”.</p><p>Same came up close to me and Dean, and leaned his head down to my mouth to listen.<br/>“I drive myself crazy, drive myself crazy – thinking of you!”, I sang loudly into his ear.<br/>Dean frowned.<br/>“Ok, let’s just go”.<br/>In a swift move, he pulled me over his shoulder, so my head was upside down, looking at his backside.<br/>“Sir, has anyone ever told you that you have a nice butt?”, I laughed.</p><p>Dean carried me towards the door; and Sam opened it for us.<br/>I began slapping Deans bottom.<br/>“I can walk, Mr. Osbourne!”, I yelled, before pocking at one of his butt cheeks through his jeans. “It’s also very firm”.</p><p>I was transported over to the black Impala, and deposited in the backseat. <br/>“This car doesn’t have seatbelts. That’s not very safe”.<br/>“I won’t tell, if you don’t”, Dean grunted. “Sam get in the back with her, so she doesn’t try to get out”.<br/>“I’m being kidnapped!”, I giggled; and leaned against Sam as he entered the car next to me. I poked at his chest. “You’re also very firm. But Dean has nice eyes. I like his eyes. Do you like his eyes?”.<br/>Dean got in the driver’s seat, and looked at us in the mirror. <br/>“See? Nice eyes…”, I breathed.<br/>“Yes, Dean has… nice eyes”, Sam smiled.</p><p>I sighed, as Dean started up the car; and drove us down the road.<br/>“But he broke my heart… did you know that?”, I said. <br/>Deans eyes met mine in the mirror. They were pained.</p><p>Then everything went dark.</p><p>---</p><p>I woke up in a bed that wasn’t mine. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton; and I blinked a few times.<br/>The room was brightly colored, in turquoise shades; hurting my eyes.</p><p>“Good morning, Coyote Ugly”, a dark voice said. <br/>I looked in the direction of the voice. Dean was looking at me, from where he was seated in a chair by a table.<br/>“I don’t live here…”, I croaked.<br/>“No… We do. For now”.<br/>“This is your motel?”, I asked.<br/>“Yup”, he said, and came over to me; holding out a glass of some rancid smelling liquid. “Hair of the dog?”.<br/>I sat up.<br/>“What is that?”<br/>Dean shrugged.<br/>“Alka-Seltzer; Gatorade; a crushed-up Advil – and some charcoal”. He put the glass on the bedside table. “Trust me. It works. Cured my case of the clap”.</p><p>I groaned.<br/>“Sorry… I guess I said a lot of things last night; up until I blacked out”.<br/>“And after”, Dean muttered.<br/>I frowned, and grabbed the glass; holding my nose as I drank it.<br/>“That is… vile”, I said.<br/>“Sam’s getting coffee. Should take away the taste”, Dean said.<br/>I sighed.<br/>“Right… Sam”.<br/>“Yeah. You remember… the guy with the firm chest?”, Dean smirked.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“Please, don’t… I’m already embarrassed enough as it is”.</p><p>Dean nodded.<br/>“You should call your boyfriend”, he muttered.<br/>I looked down.<br/>“He’s not my boyfriend”, I said quietly.<br/>Dean gave me a cold look.<br/>“Whatever. Your manfriend, then”.</p><p>Dean sat down, and began rifling through some papers – looking out the corner of his eye at me.<br/>“How are you feeling”, he said, before clearing his throat.<br/>I looked under the covers.<br/>“Well, I’m still wearing pants… so that’s an upside”.<br/>“You thought we’d undress you?”, Dean frowned.<br/>“I don’t know… there are a lot of things I thought you wouldn’t do…”.<br/>“Like what?”, He asked.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“Come back from the dead, comes to mind”.<br/>Dean clenched his jaw.<br/>“About that…”.</p><p>The door opened.<br/>“I got the coffee. She awake?”. Sam stepped inside, and saw me sitting upright. “Great! And no one’s dead yet. That’s good”.<br/>“I wouldn’t kill her”, Dean muttered.<br/>“She might kill you… and me”, Sam retorted.<br/>I narrowed my eyes at the man.<br/>“I’m still considering it”, I muttered. “You could drop me off at my place. I could get Dean’s gun…”.<br/>Dean threw up his hands in the air.<br/>“So that’s where it is”, he said exasperatedly. “Thanks for telling me, Sammy!”.<br/>“You said you didn’t want to… you know”, Sam said quietly, nodding his head in my direction.<br/>I got out of the bed.<br/>“Didn’t want to what?”, I asked.<br/>“Nothing”, Dean grunted.</p><p>Sam handed me a donut.<br/>“Breakfast?”, his voice broke.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“Where’s my purse? I need my phone”.<br/>Sam handed me my phone.<br/>“Your purse is probably still at the bar”, he muttered. “Sorry. We were in a rush”.<br/>“I could tell”, I said; dialing up Raul.</p><p>“Hola, Lolita!”, his cheery voice rang through. “Threesome go well?”.<br/>“No… nothing like that”, I muttered.<br/>“Those guys were smoking… too bad. But you’re alive and well”, he said.<br/>“I am”, I said.<br/>“I have your purse, mami. Give it to you at the bar later?”.<br/>“No, babe. I need it now”.</p><p>Dean looked up at me, and frowned.</p><p>“Right, your keys. You probably need a shower”, Raul said.<br/>“Can I come over?”, I asked.<br/>“I… have a guest”, Raul said. “Handsy guy turned out to be showing off for his friends… he apparently prefers beards over breasts”, Raul chuckled. “I’ll be right there, baby”, he called to someone in the back.<br/>“That sounds… hot”, I grinned.</p><p>Dean cleared his throat, and took a deep sip of his coffee. I met his eyes, and couldn’t help but smile. Sam was seemingly pretending like he wasn’t even in the room.</p><p>“Raul, please…”, I pleaded.<br/>He sighed.<br/>“Ok, come over. Just gotta get rid of the hangaround. 30 minutes?”.<br/>“Yes. Thanks. See you then”.<br/>I hung up, and looked at Dean.</p><p>“Could you… maybe give me a ride? I need to get my purse from Raul”, I asked timidly.<br/>He stood up, and grabbed his keys from the table.<br/>“Sure…”, he muttered. We went towards the door. “Sammy, keep looking. There has to be something”.<br/>“Yeah”, Sam said. “It was good seeing you, Lulu”, he tried.<br/>I gave him a crooked smile.<br/>“I… wish I could say the same”, I whispered; and followed Dean out the door.</p><p>---</p><p>Giving Dean the address to Raul’s place; I got in the passenger seat next to him – and he drove us out of the motel parking lot.<br/>For a good while, we were quiet.<br/>Dean turned on the radio; probably trying to end the silence.<br/>“Bon Jovi?”, I muttered, as Livin’ on a Prayer began playing.<br/>“Rocks on occasion”, he grunted.<br/>“Sure does”, I said.</p><p>He gazed over at me for a second.<br/>“How have you been?”, he asked.<br/>“You really wanna know?”, I croaked.<br/>He shrugged.<br/>“Sure… You seem like you’re doing ok. But no more teaching?”.<br/>I smiled.<br/>“Couldn’t face dealing with another nightmare-inducing principal”.<br/>He chuckled.<br/>“I get that”, he said. “So, no more nightmares?”.<br/>Save for the one where you leave me, and never come back, I thought.<br/>“No”, I lied. “Just the usual… Naked in the middle of a busy street… clowns… that sort of thing”.<br/>He nodded.<br/>“You naked isn’t my idea of a nightmare, but ok…”.</p><p>“Don’t…”, I whispered. <br/>He clenched his jaw.<br/>“Sorry”, he said, eyes focused on the road. “I guess I didn’t realize…”.<br/>“Yes, you did”, I rasped. “That’s why you left before we could get serious. At least that’s what you said, then”.<br/>“Meant it”, he grunted.<br/>“Yeah?”, I rasped. “Then why didn’t you let me know? Or have Sam let me know?”.<br/>The front seat of the Impala suddenly seemed very broad; like there was a mile between us.</p><p>Dean swallowed hard.<br/>“That place I came back from…”, he began.<br/>“So you did come back? You didn’t just ditch me, and pretend to die?”.<br/>He looked angrily at me.<br/>“Would you let me finish?”, he growled. “And besides, Sam came to see you when I died, didn’t he? You were together… a week, right?”.<br/>I let out a scoffing breath.<br/>“You think… that’s why you were so short with him”. Dean didn’t answer. “Dean… Sam and me…”.<br/>“I don’t wanna hear it, Lou”, he grunted.</p><p>I controlled myself; before glaring at him.<br/>“Sam showed up at my apartment, a week after you died”, I said.<br/>“I said, I don’t…”, he tried.<br/>“You’re going to!”, I snarled. “He was a mess – and so was I. We spent a week taking turns getting drunk and crying. When he slept, I watched over him, and vice versa. I was heartbroken, Dean! And so was he…”. Dean looked at me from the corner of his eye. “But we never… That wasn’t even a… no”.<br/>In the end, my voice broke, and a tear betrayed me – slipping down my cheek. I quickly dried it away.<br/>“Sorry”, Dean muttered.<br/>“We’re here”, I whispered; and gestured at Raul’s building.</p><p>Dean pulled over, and I got out of the car. Before I closed the door to the Impala, I looked at him.<br/>“I remember what I said last night”, I said. “That you broke my heart… And you did. Twice. First, when you left me like you did – after everything that happened… The second time was when I found out that you’d lied”.<br/>He frowned.<br/>“When did I lie?”.<br/>“When you told me what we had was real”, I croaked. “If it was, you would have let me know”.</p><p>I closed the car door; and walked away – rushing to get inside the building.<br/>I ran up the stairs; and knocked on Raul’s door. He opened within seconds.<br/>“Hey, Lolita!”, he grinned; wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. He looked at my face, and instantly frowned. “What happened?”.<br/>“Nothing”, I croaked.</p><p>Raul threw his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest.<br/>“Oh, mami. I’m so sorry”, he whispered into my hair. “I’m so, so sorry…”.<br/>I held on tightly to him.</p><p>“Lulu!”, someone called from behind me. Turned my face away from Raul’s chest, and saw Dean – lips parted, and eyes sad – before his expression turned sour. “Just… wanted to make sure you got in safe.<br/>“You should leave, man”, Raul grunted. “Come on, Lolita”, he muttered, and pulled me into the apartment; closing the door behind us.</p><p>---</p><p>As Raul’s place was closer to Buddie’s than mine was, I kept some spare clothes there, when nights at the bar turned crazy, and I didn’t want to go home. I often stayed on my friend’s couch; especially after some weirdo or other wouldn’t leave me alone at work.</p><p>After a spending the day curled up on his couch, the bartender handed me a mug.<br/>“Spiked it”, he smiled; as I smelled the luscious cocoa, he’d made me.<br/>“Thanks”, I smiled, and drank from the mug.<br/>“You feeling better?”, he asked, and stroked my cheek.<br/>I sighed.<br/>“I’m… much better, yeah”, I said. “Just needed it out of my system”.<br/>Raul drew his lips back in a snarl.<br/>“I should have kicked his ass”, he said.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“It’s fine… But you mind if I take a swing at your punching bag?”.<br/>His face lit up.<br/>“Go ahead! You know where it is”.</p><p>I went into Raul’s bedroom; and walked over to the large red bag hanging in the corner.<br/>Fisting my hands, I began punching at it, hard. I lifted my leg, and kicked at it; making it slam against the wall.<br/>“Easy, mami”, Raul smiled from the doorway. “I want to be able to get my deposit back one day”.<br/>“Sorry”, I chuckled.</p><p>Raul put on some protective pads; and stepped over to me.<br/>“You got this”, he said. “Remember? Punch, punch, knee”.<br/>I struck first at Raul’s face, then his torso – while he covered himself from the blows with the pads – and finally put my knee against the pad he held in front of his groin.<br/>“Good. Again. Punch… punch… knee!”, he said. “Yes! Now what do we say to bad ex-boyfriends?”.<br/>“Not today!”, I yelled, and laughed.<br/>“Good girl”, Raul grinned.</p><p>We trained for a few more minutes, before I felt like the alcohol sweat was getting to me, and stepped into the bathroom.<br/>I took a shower, and applied some makeup I kept in my purse, looking more or less like I hadn’t spent hours crying while watching TiVo’d RuPaul’s Drag Race with Raul.<br/>Stepping out of the bathroom; Raul handed me a fresh set of clothes.<br/>“It’s 90’s night. Thought you might want your flannel”.</p><p>I frowned when I looked down at the shirt, he’d given me. It was the one Dean had left at my old apartment.<br/>“You wear it”, I muttered.<br/>Raul shrugged.<br/>“Don’t mind if I do!”, he grinned, and put on the flannel.</p><p>I grabbed a dark grey tank top for myself, and a pair of tight jeans, ripped at the knees.<br/>“You got your combat boots in my closet”, Raul called over his shoulder, as he was doing his hair in the bathroom mirror.<br/>“I thought your closet was empty, babe”, I grinned.<br/>“For years, mami!”, he said.</p><p>I put on my booth, and joined him by the mirror, slapping his butt.<br/>“Blue Steel!”, I smiled, and we both contorted our faces into perfect Zoolander looks.<br/>“Tonight, we’re getting you laid, mami!”, Raul jeered.<br/>I laughed and shook my head.<br/>“I’m good; thanks”, I said.<br/>Raul grabbed my red lipstick from my purse, and grabbed my chin.<br/>“Stand still”, he ordered; and applied the color to my lips. “Perfect”, he said as he finished – pecking my lips chastely. “Let’s get to work”.</p><p>---</p><p>“What’s in your head? In your head? Zombie…”.<br/>The bass was heavy, and most of the patrons were headbanging to the music.<br/>I was running back and forth between the many costumers at the bar.</p><p>We had extra help that night – a few dropouts that had needed jobs where going between tables, taking orders.<br/>“We need a new keg!”, I called over the music. Raul nodded, and went in the back to grab one. “Megan! Table 5!”. I handed the young woman four beers on a tray.</p><p>Raul returned to the bar with the keg, and as I moved the nozzle to it; he began a conversation with a person I recognized.<br/>I sauntered over, and smirked at the man.<br/>“Talk to daddy’s lawyer yet?”.<br/>The blue-eyed man smiled embarrassedly. He held up his hand, which was bandaged after my work on it.<br/>“Yeah, sorry… That was rude”.<br/>“It really was”, I nodded. “But give me a nice tip, and we’ll move past it…”.<br/>Raul winked at the man.<br/>“He already gave me the…”.<br/>“No! Don’t wanna know”, I laughed, and walked away.</p><p>I handed another tray of beers to Megan.<br/>“Go on sweetie!”, I smiled.<br/>“Thanks… Lulu?”, she said.<br/>“Yup?”.<br/>Her pretty face was smiling brightly at me.<br/>“Thanks for convincing the owner to give me this gig. I really appreciate it”.<br/>“You’re doing great”, I grinned.</p><p>I grabbed a tray of cold ones myself, and walked towards the table who had ordered it.<br/>Someone grabbed my arm. I turned around, and stood face to face with one of the girls from the group of sorority sisters the night before; the one with the perfect skin and bright eyes.<br/>“Yes?”, I smiled.<br/>“I’m sorry. I was just wondering if you’d seen Terri around tonight…”, the girl said.<br/>I furrowed my brow.<br/>“Terri?”.<br/>“The blonde”, the girl said. “You know… the one with the…”. She made a gesture towards her chest.<br/>“Ah, yes. Her”, I said. “No, haven’t seen her”.<br/>The girl frowned.<br/>“She left with some guy last night… haven’t seen her since. She hasn’t called…”.<br/>I looked towards the table waiting for their drinks, and sighed.<br/>“Look, leave your number with Raul at the bar. If we see her, we’ll call, ok?”.<br/>The girl nodded, and walked off.<br/>I left the beers at the table, and slid the 20 they handed me into my pocket.</p><p>Back at the bar, Raul was still in deep conversation with the blue-eyed man. He seemed like he was trying to brush him off.<br/>“But we had something, dude!”, the guy was saying.<br/>“Sorry, baby. I have to get back to work”, Raul smiled; and went over to me, rolling his eyes.<br/>I pouted.<br/>“I think you broke his heart”.<br/>“He’ll get over it”, Raul shrugged. <br/>“You’re not gonna see him again?”, I asked. “You usually at least give a guy a couple of dates”.<br/>Raul cleared his throat, and looked uncomfortable.<br/>“He’s got… this thing”, he muttered.<br/>I chuckled.<br/>“What… Horns? A tail?”. Raul met my eyes. “Dude’s got a tail?”, I whispered with wide eyes.<br/>Raul grimaced.<br/>“It’s… a tiny one. But it was right in my line of sight”.<br/>I winced.<br/>“Yikes…”.<br/>“Yeah…”, Raul grumbled. “I’m gonna go get a case of Bud”.</p><p>I returned to the patrons at the bar; when suddenly I was face to face with Dean again.<br/>“Hi”, he muttered. Sam was standing behind him – looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.<br/>“Hey”, I said.<br/>Dean clenched his jaw a second.<br/>“We’re here on a case… not to hassle you”.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“It’s fine”, I said; trying my best not to get lost in his intense stare. “So… what is it?”.<br/>He cleared his throat.<br/>“It’s… not something we can talk about with people around”, he said; and pulled a picture from his pocket. “This girl; you seen her?”.</p><p>Terri was giving me a million-dollar smile from the photo he was holding up.<br/>“Yeah she was here last night, remember?”, I said, raising a brow at him. A smile ghosted his face.<br/>“Yeah… She’s missing”.<br/>I frowned.<br/>“Her friend was here earlier, asking for her”, I said.<br/>“Probably the girl we talked to down at the college”, Sam said.<br/>A group of frat guys were waving at me from the other end of the bar.<br/>“Look, I have to go do my job”.</p><p>Raul reappeared from the basement; carrying a case of beer.<br/>“You let him wear my shirt?”, Dean snapped. “He’s stretching it, with all that… muscle!”.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“Sorry… I can have him take it off”, I smirked. “But he’s got nothing on underneath; and it might cause a stir”.<br/>Dean frowned.<br/>“No… let him have it”.<br/>Sam cleared his throat.<br/>“We should get back to the case”.<br/>I nodded, and walked away.</p><p>Megan returned to the bar.<br/>“Can you take care of the frat guys over there?”, I asked. “I need some air”.<br/>“Sure thing!”, she grinned.<br/>I smiled at Raul, who gave me a knowing look; and I went towards the back door.</p><p>I closed the door behind me; and went to stand against the wall. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.<br/>I heard the door open and close again.<br/>“Really though? My gun and my shirt?”. I opened my eyes to see Dean looking at me with wide eyes.<br/>“I don’t want to do this. Please, Dean”, I said quietly.<br/>“Too bad, because I do”, he said; his brows raised in a serious expression. “You said a lot of things back there in the car… but you didn’t let me say anything”.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“You didn’t seem to be in a chatty mood”.<br/>He stepped towards me; leaving less than a yard between us.<br/>“That was because I thought you and Sam… No, you know what? Never mind”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“No, you started this. Finish it!”, I sneered.</p><p>Dean took a deep breath; seemingly trying to restrain his anger.<br/>“I was in Hell, Lou”, he said. “The actual Hell”.<br/>My lips parted, and I drew in a short breath.<br/>“What do you mean?”, I whispered.<br/>“I mean; hellhounds dragged me downstairs, and demons tortured me – ripped me apart, and put me back together – every day for years”. Dean looked down, avoiding my eyes.<br/>“But… you weren’t gone for…”, I began.<br/>“Time works differently there”, he muttered. “After… a long time… I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I was offered a different position to being the demons’ favorite punching bag”.</p><p>I lifted my hand to reach for him; but he stepped backwards. It was as if he was afraid, I’d hurt him if I touched him – or he would hurt me.<br/>“I became a torturer myself… I was… good at my job”.<br/>“Dean…”, I croaked; and stepped towards him – putting my hand on his arm.<br/>He shrugged me off.<br/>“You shouldn’t…”, he said quietly. “It’s why I didn’t try to find you again… How could you ever…?”.<br/>He looked like the weight of the world – or Hell – was on his shoulders.</p><p>I put my hand back on his arm – this time he didn’t move; but he still wouldn’t meet my eyes.<br/>“That’s not you”, I said.<br/>“It is…”, he rasped. “I did those things. I tortured, and slashed and…”.<br/>“Stop…”, I whispered, and stepped closer to him; putting my other hand on his cheek.<br/>He finally met my eyes tentatively.<br/>“I didn’t want to hurt you… still don’t”, he said. “Who I am – what I’ve done… How could I ever be someone…?”.</p><p>I put both my arms around his waist, and held on tightly to him. After a moment; I felt his arms surround me; and he put his face into the crook of my neck.<br/>“I’m sorry, Dean”, I whispered. “I’m so sorry”.<br/>“No… I don’t deserve that”, he muttered.<br/>I shook my head, and looked at him – still holding him tight.<br/>“I’m sorry that happened to you”, I said. He furrowed his brow. “You sacrificed yourself for your brother. You are a good man”.<br/>“But I did those things…”, he said quietly.<br/>“Anyone in your place would have”, I said.</p><p>He pulled away from me.<br/>“If I could have stayed with you, I would have”, he muttered.<br/>I smiled.<br/>“No you wouldn’t. You have your job. You help people; and that’s not something you can do from one place”.<br/>He nodded, and cleared his throat.<br/>“But I would have stayed in touch. I really wanted us to… try”.<br/>“And now…?”, I rasped.<br/>Dean shook his head.<br/>“You have the MMA fighter in there…”.<br/>I chuckled.<br/>“Raul is gay, Dean”, I smiled.<br/>His eyes widened.<br/>“So, you two are…”.<br/>“Friends”, I said.<br/>Dean sighed deeply.<br/>“Well I’m an idiot!”, he chuckled.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“You kind of are, yeah”, I grinned.</p><p>Dean stepped towards me again – and putting his hands on either side of my face – he leaned in; and kissed me.<br/>I grabbed his wrists, and put his arms around me – putting my own hands behind his head; running my fingers through his short hair.<br/>Dean suckled at my lower lip – gently stroking his tongue across it. I let out a soft moan.<br/>He pulled me even closer; before backing me against wall – leaving no space between us.<br/>My breath was growing ragged, and I let his tongue enter my mouth; as he ran a hand down to my hip, and pressed into me.</p><p>All space and time turned in to this. Me and Dean, colliding like comets, and exploding in passion – in a dirty alleyway behind a bar.</p><p>“Dean!”. Sam had come out to find his brother. “Wow… sorry. I didn’t mean to…”. He cleared his throat.<br/>Dean looked at his brother, and grinned.<br/>“Raul is gay!”, he said happily.<br/>Sam raised a confused brow.<br/>“Yeah I know. He’s spent the last 15 minutes flirting with me”, he said. “Look, dude, we still have a case to finish”.</p><p>Dean stepped back from me; and looked at me apologetically.<br/>“I need to…”.<br/>“Yeah”, I nodded.<br/>“I’m gonna call you!”, he said.<br/>“You still don’t have my number”, I chuckled.<br/>He licked his lip.<br/>“I may or may not have texted myself from your phone, while you were passed out last night”, he admitted with a smirk.</p><p>We reentered the bar, and the guys followed me over to the bar. <br/>I looked at Raul, and blushed.<br/>“What?”, I croaked.<br/>Dean looked at Raul with a big grin on his face.<br/>“That’s a really nice shirt, man!”, he said.<br/>Raul laughed.<br/>“Yeah, thanks. I like your lipstick!”.<br/>Dean rubbed his lips with the back of his hand; and looked at me with a crooked smile.<br/>I leaned over the bar, and grabbed his collar – leaving a short kiss on his lips.<br/>“I’ll see you around”, I said.<br/>“Yeah”, he smirked.<br/>I smiled at Sam, who chuckled at me.<br/>“See you, Lulu”, he said; and the brothers walked towards the exit.</p><p>I spent a moment regaining my wits.<br/>“Dean…”, Raul said; wiggling his brows. “I bet you’re really sorry he’s impotent”.<br/>“Shut up”, I chuckled. “Where’s Megan?”.<br/>Raul frowned.<br/>“Haven’t seen her for a while. Could you take this order?”.<br/>He handed me a tray, and I went to serve the table.</p><p>---</p><p>At 2 am I was finally home. My apartment in Denver was smaller than the one I’d had – just a studio – but it was nice; rustic.<br/>I had been able to afford a couple of pieces of second hand furniture – including a bed with a metal bar headboard; a small couch and armchair, with a coffee-table to go with it; a small kitchen table with some chairs; and a dresser. My clothes, books, tv, stereo, records and CDs where all I had brought with me – having left behind the furniture in my old place; wanting to avoid the memories of it.</p><p>My feet were tired, my shoulders were sore – but my heart was full.<br/>I looked at my phone to see if Dean had texted or called; and came across the text he’d sent his own phone.<br/>- Lou. I’m sorry. I know I’m the last person you expected to see. I wish things were different.<br/>Things were different now.</p><p>I was about to send him a text; when there was a knock at the door. It was late for guests, so I looked out the peep-hole to see who was there. With a smile, I immediately opened the door.<br/>“Hi”, Dean said; with a nervous look on his face.<br/>“How did you find this place?”, I asked.<br/>“You’re listed”, he smiled. “Do you want me to…”.<br/>“No!”, I interrupted him. “Come in…”.</p><p>Dean stepped in to the room, and looked around. I closed the door behind him.<br/>“This is… nice”, he said.<br/>“Thanks…”, I muttered. “It’s smaller, but I like it”.<br/>Dean moved around the room, taking it in.<br/>“I just came by to check you got home ok”.<br/>“No…”, I said.<br/>He frowned.<br/>“No?”.<br/>I smiled.<br/>“That’s not why you came”, I said.<br/>He nodded.<br/>“You’re right”.</p><p>An eternity passed – or just a second, I couldn’t tell – before, with two long steps, Dean wrapped me in his arms, and pressed his lips to mine.<br/>I ran my hands up his torso, and he pulled back from me; looking on in wonder, as I pushed his jacket off his shoulders, and down his arms – letting it drop to the floor.</p><p>Dean attacked my mouth again, and our tongues met at the same time our bodies did. I gasped, as Dean gently pulled at my lip with his teeth – gaging my reaction with intense green eyes.<br/>I pulled at his shirt, and he quickly pulled it off; discarding it somewhere over his shoulder – before tugging at the hem of my tank.<br/>“Tell me to stop”, he breathed against my mouth. “I’ll leave right away”.<br/>“No”, I rasped. “Don’t stop”. I lifted my arms in the air, and let him pull the fabric over my head.</p><p>He stepped backwards, and pulled off his own t-shirt. His torso was taut – trimmed, but not ripped. He was strong, I could tell – and remember – and I bit my lip as I looked him over.<br/>I stepped close to him again, and ran my fingertips from the amulet in his necklace, across his chest; ending up at a strange tattoo on his peck. Leaning in, I left a soft kiss on it, and gently licked a trail across his collarbone, and up his neck – feeling the stubble on his jaw meet my tongue.<br/>Dean drew in a short breath, and grabbed my hair; pulling my head back, so he could kiss me again.</p><p>Putting his hands on my thighs, he tapped them; telling me to jump. I giggled slightly, as he caught me; and I straddled his waist.<br/>Dean starred into my eyes with lust-blown pupils, and carried me towards the bed; letting his lips brush mine gently, as if to kiss me – then suddenly let go; dropping me onto the mattress.</p><p>He grinned down at me; before in a swift move pushing me to lie down, and crawling over me.<br/>For a moment he just looked at me. Then, he kissed my lips softly, and moved downwards, leaving a trail of kisses on my chin, my neck, my collarbone; and finally, one of each of my breasts, just where the lace met my skin. The stubble on his chin brushing against my skin, made my breath hitch.<br/>I slid my hands down his strong back; feeling his muscles flex under my touch. Dean’s hands where on my waist; and he looked up at me as his fingers travelled towards the button on my jeans – looking for consent.<br/>I bit my lip again, and nodded.</p><p>Sitting back on his knees – one of them between my legs – Dean opened the button, and then pulled down the zipper. He hooked his fingers into my waistband, and pulled my jeans down. I pulled myself backwards on the bed, so he could pull them off me. <br/>Nipping at both of my big toes, he pulled off my socks as well – and with a grin, he threw them over his shoulders, before bending down again, and kissing my knees.<br/>His lips left pecks up the inside of my thigh; and his warm breath there left me whimpering quietly, as my body stirred under him.</p><p>Dean moved upwards – the whole time looking into my eyes – pausing for a moment over the apex of my thighs, and parting his lips; licking the bottom one.<br/>I closed my eyes and put my head back on the pillow. Deans warm breath over my core was enough to make my walls quake.<br/>Suddenly he was over me again, kissing my lips.<br/>“Tease…”, I smiled against his lips.<br/>“You know it”, he said; and flicked my lips with his tongue.<br/>I threw my arms around him, and kissed him passionately – pushing his shoulder with one hand, to get him to roll onto his back.<br/>Dean obliged, and I straddled his waist – crawling backwards on my knees, so I could open his belt and the button of his jeans – as he looked on in wonder. Before I could finish the job, he sat up; and with a swift move, he unhooked my bra.</p><p>“You’ve had practice”, I chuckled. “Susan Farrow?”.<br/>He shrugged with a smug smile.<br/>Dean pulled at my bra straps, taking off the garment slowly – looking at my chest as he unveiled my mounds.<br/>He let out a soft “Oh… wow…”, as my breasts came in to view. I laughed softly, and took his hand to place it one of my mounds.<br/>He squeezed it gently, and looked into my eyes again. I parted my lips and drew in a hard breath, when he let his thumb graze over my nipple. Using his index finger as well, he pulled gently at it – leaving it erect. He used his other hand to do the same on my other bud.<br/>Moving his hands to my back, he rolled me onto my back again, and got off the bed, finally taking of his pants, boots and socks – leaving him in his boxers.</p><p>Dean Winchester was not impotent. The stretched fabric on the front of his underwear gave that away very clearly.<br/>I raised my brow at the sight, and let out a pleased breath. Dean shrugged – once again looking quite pleased with himself. He knew exactly how good looking he was.</p><p>I sat up and took his hand; pulling him down over me again. This time he didn’t play around. He pushed me to lay down against the pillow – and sucked gently at my nipple – before moving down to my panties, and pulling them off me.<br/>Lifting my knee, he put it over his shoulder – gave me a quick smirk – before brushing his lips over my lower ones.<br/>“Oh!”, I gasped, as he gently blew at my nub.<br/>“This ok?”, he breathed.<br/>“Uh huh…”, I moaned.</p><p>Dean kissed my bundle off nerves, and then licked over my labia with a flat tongue. His index finger parted my lips and felt for my wetness – apparently striking gold from the sound of his chuckle.<br/>The finger entered me down to the knuckle, and bended upwards.<br/>I whimpered loudly.<br/>“You sure you don’t wanna just watch a movie?”, Dean grinned up at me.<br/>“Dean!”, I pleaded with a raspy voice.<br/>He chuckled again, and got back to work.</p><p>And some work that was.<br/>Dean added another finger, and moved them in and out of me – occasionally crooking them upwards – all while gently kissing my nub over and over.<br/>“Please…”, I croaked.<br/>He opened his mouth slightly, and sucked the little pebble into his mouth; playing with it with the tip of his tongue.</p><p>I grasped at the covers underneath me, breathing raggedly; and cursing in a language I didn’t even know myself.<br/>Everything went white, as Deans fingers picked up speed, and he sucked at me harder.<br/>“Come on, baby”, he breathed; and sucked my nub into his mouth again. His fingers pressed hard upwards – and suddenly I was flying; soaring above the bed as I came.<br/>Dean kept going, and I looked down at him, meeting his mischievous eyes. He was going to draw this out.<br/>His fingers continued their attack, and his mouth wouldn’t let go off me.<br/>I tried to pull backwards – not sure how much more I could take – but he used his free arm to wrap over my thigh and hip, and held me fast against his face.</p><p>“I… can’t…”, I sobbed; when suddenly my walls quivered even harder, and it felt like I exploded into tiny little atoms. Every part of me was on fire, and my body convulsed under Dean.<br/>I realized then, that what I had felt before was not an orgasm. This was an orgasm – and the most intense one I’d ever had to boot.<br/>I cried out my pleasure, and – finally – Dean relented; letting go of me from his lips, and gently withdrawing his fingers from my still throbbing core.</p><p>He came up to lay next to me, putting his arm over my belly.<br/>“You still with me?”, he chuckled.<br/>“No…”, I croaked.<br/>“You know, you say that a lot”, he grinned; and pulled me close to him. I felt his erection poke at my thigh. “Don’t worry about it. Come down to earth first”, he said softly.<br/>I nodded.<br/>“Wow…”, I said. “That was… something else”.<br/>“I know”, Dean smirked.<br/>“You are so full of yourself!”, I chuckled.</p><p>Finally feeling by body relax, I stroked his cheek; and leaned in to kiss him again. As he pulled himself to lay halfway over me, I put one arm around his back, holding him close – while my other hand travelled down his torso. My fingertips grazed over the tip of his member; and he gasped softly.<br/>“I haven’t even touched you yet”, I smiled.<br/>“I don’t need you to touch me to feel the way I do right now”, he breathed. “It’s enough when you just look at me”.<br/>“Well, I’m not satisfied with just looking”, I said, and kissed him passionately, as I put my hand under the waistband of his boxers, and grabbed his hardness.</p><p>I stroked him gently – once in a while applying a bit of pleasure – as he just looked into my eyes.<br/>“If you could just do that forever, that would be great”, he croaked.<br/>“Really?”, I asked, and nibbled at his lower lip while he whimpered from my touch. “There’s nothing else you’d like to do?”.<br/>Darkness ghosted his face, and he quickly pulled off his underwear, and placed himself between my legs.<br/>“Hard or soft?”, he almost growled.<br/>“Anyway you want it, that’s the way you need it…”, I said quietly.<br/>He looked at me in amazement.<br/>“Where have they been hiding you?”, he asked.<br/>His penis probed my entrance, and using his hand to guide it; he pushed inside me with a agonizingly slow movement.<br/>He let me adjust to him for a moment, before – with a soft smile – he began moving.</p><p>I lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hips, pulling him towards me.<br/>We moved together slowly, stroking every inch of skin we could reach on the other’s body. Kissing my lips gently; I ran my nails down his back – letting him know that what he was doing to me was heavenly.<br/>“Lou… you’re gonna make this end much sooner than I’d like it to”, Dean warned me. I skimmed his arms with my nails, and raised a brow at him. “That’s it”, he said with a chiding tone.</p><p>With a swift move of Deans hips and his strong arms, I was suddenly on top.<br/>“Really?”, I smiled. “Now I have all the control”.<br/>“That’s what you think, sweetheart”, he smirked, sat up and caught my wrists; pinning them behind my back.</p><p>With his free hand, he grabbed my hip, and began controlling their movements. I struggled against his grip, which made my chest arch forwards; and Dean caught my nipple in his mouth – sucking at it.<br/>I grinded against him; and we moaned together – both smiling at the pleasure the other brought us.<br/>“You feel… awesome”, Dean gasped against my lips; catching me in another kiss. <br/>His hardness inside me – filling my insides perfectly – and the way my grinding caused friction to my clitoris; drew me closer to a second climax.<br/>I buried my face in the crook of his neck; and he finally let go of my wrists – letting me embrace him.</p><p>My newfound freedom let me move differently, and I began raising and lowering myself on his member – drawing even more wanton noises from his lips.<br/>My hands were in his hair, his were on my bottom; helping me rise and fall with his strong arms.<br/>“I need to…”, Dean croaked; and flipped us over again – placing my leg over his shoulder.<br/>The new angle immediately made me see stars, as the head of his penis rubbed at that special spot inside of me, his fingers had found before – every time he pulled back, and thrusted back inside me again.</p><p>Dean picked up the pace; and his breathing grew erratic. My tunnel was clenching around him more and more forcefully, until I finally cried out my climax.<br/>Deans brow furrowed. He was desperately trying to hold back; and quickly losing the battle.<br/>“Can I…?”, he croaked.<br/>I nodded fervently.<br/>With a few more hard thrusts; he came undone inside me. I pulled my knee down from his shoulder, and wrapped both my legs and arms around him, as he let go.<br/>Finally, he relaxed on top of me. I kissed him gently, and we smiled at each other.<br/>“Hi…”, he breathed; looking at me with hazy eyes.<br/>“Hey”, I chuckled.</p><p>Dean gently pulled out of me, and laid himself next to me; pulling me close, and kissing my shoulder.<br/>After a while of just cuddling, and looking at each other; nature called.<br/>“I have to…”, I muttered, and pulled out of his arms, as he groaned in annoyance. “Just… give me a few minutes. I’ll be back… Unless you wanna join me in the shower?”.<br/>His brows raised in pleased surprise.<br/>“I could use a hose down”, he grinned. “Call me when you’re ready”.</p><p>I did a naked run to the bathroom; hurriedly finished my business, and washed my hands – before opening the door to call for Dean.</p><p>In the middle of the room stood a broody looking man in a beige trench coat.<br/>“Jesus Christ!”, I yelped.<br/>“Not quite”, the man said with a disinterested voice.</p><p>---</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The road so far…</p><p>Dean Winchester risen from the dead, and showing up in Lulu’s life after more than a year of her grieving over him; was something she had not bargained for. Finally, in each other’s arms, Dean and she are interrupted, when a strange man in a trench coat shows up in her apartment.</p><p>Our story continues in season 4</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I sprang into the bathroom again, and put on my robe. I searched the small dresser which held my towels, for the gun I kept there.<br/>Holding it out in front of me, I opened the door again.</p><p>Dean – now wearing his boxers and t-shirt – jumped in between me and the stranger, holding out a hand to stop me.<br/>“Woah! Lou… Put that thing down”, he said.<br/>“W-who are you?”, I stammered.<br/>Dean walked towards me slowly, and grabbed the hand in which I was holding the gun.<br/>“Sweetheart, really. Relax”, he said calmingly. “This thing wouldn’t put a dent in him anyway”.<br/>I swallowed hard.<br/>“Who is he, Dean?”.<br/>Dean took the gun from me.<br/>“There it is”, he smiled, and gave the white gripped Colt a once over. “You didn’t even flick the safety off. We need to teach you how to shoot”.</p><p>I looked at Dean with hard eyes.<br/>“There is a man dressed in a flasher coat in my apartment!”, I hissed. “What the hell is going on?”.<br/>“Not Hell”, the man said; his expression set in stone. “Quite the opposite”.<br/>Dean cleared his throat.<br/>“Lou, this is Castiel”, Dean said. “He’s an… uhm…”.<br/>“Angel of the Lord”, the man said.<br/>I looked from Dean to Castiel in disbelief.<br/>“An angel… of the Lord”, I said.<br/>Dean tried to smile congenially.</p><p>“Cas, this is…”, he began.<br/>“Lulu Moore. Former teacher; now dancing on bar-counters for a living”, Castiel said. I frowned. “Why does she look like that?”, he asked Dean<br/>“You’re rude”, I said. “Dean, why is it – every time you come in to my life – strangers appear in my living room?”.<br/>“At least he doesn’t have a knife”, Dean shrugged.<br/>Castiel pulled out a long shiny weapon.<br/>“I have a sword”, he said.</p><p>Dean pushed me to stand behind him.<br/>“Cas, put away the sword; before you take someone’s eye out!”, he yelled. “Why are you here? Now?”.<br/>Castiel decided to smile.<br/>“I see I’ve come at a bad time. Lulu, I apologize for interrupting your intercourse…”. Dean rolled his eyes. “But Dean and I have things to discuss. Please leave the room”.<br/>“What?”, I snarled. “You can’t come in here, and just…”.</p><p>---</p><p>I found myself back in Dean and Sam’s motel room. Sam was stepping out of a door, yawning after an early morning trip to the bathroom.<br/>He blinked and jumped backwards when he saw me.<br/>“Lulu?”, he said. “What are you doing here?”.</p><p>I stood on the middle of the floor – naked but for my bathrobe – mouth agape.<br/>“I… don’t know”, I said. “I was… in my apartment… with Dean”. Sam cleared his throat in embarrassment. “Then there was this other guy… a flasher, I think… and now I’m here”.<br/>Sam sighed.<br/>“You’ve met Castiel”, he said. “Please, sit down”.<br/>I looked down my body.<br/>“Uhm… this robe is kind of short; and I’m not really wearing any…”.<br/>“Ok!”, Sam said; quickly turning around. “I think I have some extra pajama bottoms”.</p><p>Sam rummaged through a bag, and backed towards me; handing me a pair of sweatpants with impossibly long legs.<br/>“Do you have to have clothes specially made?”, I asked, while putting on the pants. My feet only went to just below the knees of the sweats.<br/>“No, I uhm…”, Sam said. “Are you decent?”.<br/>“Hardly, but you can turn around”.</p><p>I went to sit on the bed that seemed like it hadn’t been slept in – guessing it was Deans – and began rolling up the legs of the pants.<br/>“What did Castiel want?”, Sam asked; flicking on the lights in the room.<br/>“Except interrupt a perfectly good time?”, I muttered. I was still shaken up from being pretty much teleported to a different place.<br/>“Yeah, he does that”, my friend grinned. “Coffee? Only have instant”.<br/>“Yeah, thanks”, I answered. “He didn’t say what he wanted. At least not while I was there. He just wanted to talk to Dean”. Sam furrowed his brow, while filling the kettle with water. “Sam? Does this have to do with your case?”, I asked.<br/>He shook his head.<br/>“Not this one at least”, he muttered.</p><p>He looked uncomfortable for a moment.<br/>“Look, Lulu… I’m sorry”, he said. “I know you’re probably pissed at me for keeping what happened to Dean from you…”.<br/>“A little”, I admitted. “You saw me… I was destroyed”.<br/>Sam grimaced.<br/>“He’s my brother… and he didn’t want you to know”.<br/>“You didn’t tell him about that week…”, I muttered.<br/>I sighed, and sat down at the table; pulling my robe closer around me.<br/>“Didn’t seem like it would help him to remind him of you… he was already reeling from being back from… you know”.<br/>I chuckled.<br/>“He thought we’d…”.<br/>Sam’s eyes widened.<br/>“That’s why he’s been acting like I scratched his car”, he grinned. “What did you tell him?”.<br/>“The truth”, I said. “Had no reason to lie”.<br/>“Good”, Sam muttered. “He might kill me in my sleep”.</p><p>I began looking over the papers the brothers had spread there. There were pictures of young women and men; one of them being the one of Terri.<br/>“These people all missing?”, I asked.<br/>Sam poured hot water into two mugs; adding instant coffee and milk into one.<br/>“Black, right?”, he asked. I nodded. He came over, and handed me one of the mugs. “Yeah. One a week like clockwork; for six months”.<br/>“Never found?”, I asked, and sipped at my coffee.<br/>“Nope… well; one of them reappeared two months ago. Chad Collins”.</p><p>He pulled out a picture of a face I instantly recognized.<br/>“Huh… This guy threatened me with his dad’s lawyer”, I said.<br/>Sam chuckled.<br/>“Why?”.<br/>“Broke his thumb Friday night”, I smirked. “He was handsy”.</p><p>Castiel was suddenly standing in front of us.</p><p>“Holy crap!”, I gasped; and sprang up from my chair.<br/>Castiel looked at me with confused eyes.<br/>“Crap is not holy”, he said with a frown. “Sam. Dean will be here soon with the car. I offered to bring the woman back myself, but he insisted”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“You have to stop doing that!”, I said. “It’s creepy!”.<br/>“It is how I travel; but I understand how it might be beyond your comprehension”, he said.<br/>“Are you actively trying to make me dislike you?”, I asked.<br/>He smiled gently.<br/>“No. You please Dean, and I need him well for the task at hand”, Castiel said. “Just don’t distract him”.</p><p>Sam looked meaningfully at Castiel.<br/>“Cas, you’re being rude”, he muttered.<br/>“She has already said that once this morning. I know my ways are different than yours; which might come off… ill-mannered”. He spread out his arms, and stepped towards me with a bright smile. “Would you like a hug? I hear that is a way of being friendly”.<br/>I held up a finger.<br/>“No… thanks”, I said. “I’m good”.<br/>He narrowed his eyes at me.<br/>“Yes, I believe you are”.</p><p>The door to the motel room opened, and Dean came in, fully dressed – making that one of us.<br/>“Lulu, I’m so sorry”, he gasped, and came over to hug me. “Are you ok?”.<br/>“Of course she is”, Castiel said. “I delivered her to Sam, where she would be safe”.<br/>Dean rolled his eyes; and put his arm around my shoulder.<br/>“Don’t ever do that again; you hear me?”, he growled at the angel. I was still having trouble wrapping my brain around that one. “I brought your purse with your keys and phone”, he muttered to me.<br/>I gave him a crooked smile.<br/>“You didn’t happen to bring shoes; did you?”.<br/>Dean’s eyes lit up, and he handed me a pair of bright red stilettos I’d worn once, as a part of a Halloween costume. I rolled my eyes, but thanked him.</p><p>“This was an abrupt ending to a nice…”, I whispered.<br/>“Yeah”, Dean smiled; and let his lips meet mine gently. It was difficult not to let myself get enraptured by his soft lips; but we had an audience.<br/>I tore myself away from the moment, and stepped back. Dean ran a finger over his lower lip; and looked down at my legs.<br/>“Are you wearing Sam’s pants?”.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“I was kind of… naked”.</p><p>Sam cleared his throat.<br/>“Cas, is there anything you need to tell us?”, he asked.<br/>“Not in front of the woman”, the angel said.<br/>Dean tensed up.<br/>“Her name is Lulu”, he growled.<br/>“All right; not in front of Lulu”, Castiel said. “I’ll return when we can speak in private”.<br/>He was gone.</p><p>I blinked.<br/>“He is without a doubt the weirdest person I’ve ever met”.<br/>Sam chuckled, and handed me my mug of coffee. I took a big sip.<br/>“Dean, Lulu just told me she broke Chad Collins’ thumb Friday night”.<br/>Dean furrowed his brow.<br/>“What? Why?”.<br/>“He groped my ass”, I said.<br/>Dean’s face lit up.<br/>“That’s my girl”, he grinned, and kissed my forehead. “Sam, by the way. we need to teach her how to shoot”.<br/>I rolled my eyes.<br/>“I know how to shoot!”, I sneered.<br/>“You left the safety on”, Dean chuckled.<br/>“The gun I used before didn’t have a safety”, I shrugged. “My teacher was… kind of reckless, I guess”.</p><p>Sam smiled, and shook his head.<br/>“Sounds like our dad”, he said.<br/>I looked at him questioningly.<br/>“Our dad used to remove the safety mechanisms on all his guns”, he explained. “Waste of time you could be using to shoot the monster”, he imitated.<br/>Dean’s face warmed in remembrance.<br/>“He was a special kind of guy”, he said.</p><p>“Seeing as we’re all awake anyway, why don’t we get back to the case…”, Sam suddenly said; as if avoiding thinking of a painful memory.<br/>I went to sit by the table again; almost tripping over the pantlegs of the sweats; that had begun unrolling from my ankles. Sam caught my elbow.<br/>“Sorry for being… tall”, he muttered. I chuckled.<br/>Dean splayed out the pictures in front of me.<br/>“Do you recognize any of the other people in these pictures?”.<br/>I looked over the faces on the table.<br/>“I don’t know… Are they all college kids?”, I asked.<br/>“Most of them”, Sam said.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“We mostly get students at the bar; sometimes stray FBI-agents/hunters…”, I jested. “Maybe this one…”, I said, and pointed at a pretty brunette. “I don’t know anything else. Sorry”.<br/>“It’s ok”, Dean muttered. “Thanks”.</p><p>“How do you know this is your kind of case?”, I asked. Dean looked at me in wonder. “What?”.<br/>“You’re catching on pretty fast, is all”, he muttered.<br/>I smiled.<br/>“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna be following you around the country, trying to hunt down werewolves and ghosts”. He raised a brow. My eyes widened. “Ghosts? I mean, I know Bobby was talking about a poltergeist when I saw you last, but… Ghosts are real?”.<br/>“Unfortunately”, Sam said. “But yeah, we think this is our kind of case. The disappearances have been happening like clockwork”.<br/>“Could just be a serial killer”, I muttered.<br/>“Who drains their victim’s blood?”, Dean said. “Too weird”.<br/>I frowned. That was the first I’d heard about that.</p><p>I put my chin in my hand; leaning on my elbow.<br/>“These kids… they’re all so good looking!”, I said. “It’s annoying”.<br/>“I dunno… Pretty girls don’t bother me”, Dean smirked; before meeting my eyes. “Present company included”.<br/>I chuckled.<br/>“You can enjoy the female form, Dean. There’s nothing wrong with that”.<br/>He looked down.<br/>“Ok, moving on… So, they’re all good-looking college kids”.<br/>Sam pulled out the picture of Chad.<br/>“Yeah, even the one that came back, looks like he’s straight out of GQ”.</p><p>I took the picture from him.<br/>“Not straight”, I said. “And not perfect either, from what Raul told me”.<br/>“What do you mean?”, Dean asked.<br/>“He… uhm… has a tiny…”. Dean stifled a grin. “Tail. He has a tail”.<br/>Both the brothers could barely hold back their laughs.<br/>“He has a tail?”, Sam asked.<br/>“A small one, apparently”.</p><p>After having controlled themselves, Sam and Dean both sat down. Dean grabbed my mug, and took a sip from it.<br/>“So, we have 21 hot young people, who all disappeared, never to be seen again; save for Chad… Who has a tail”, Dean said.<br/>“Did you talk to him?”, I asked.<br/>Sam nodded, opening his notebook.<br/>“Yeah. He told us someone must have slipped him a roofie; because one moment, he was dancing with a pretty girl – and the next he was waking up in an alley downtown”.<br/>“Wasn’t exactly the next moment, Sammy. He was gone for three days”, Dean said.<br/>Sam nodded.<br/>“Yeah, and seriously anemic”, he sighed. “There where cuts all over his arms. Someone had been draining him; before they decided to dump him”.<br/>“Why was he dancing with a girl, and groping Lulu’s ass, if he’s gay?”, Dean asked.<br/>“It’s called being sexually fluid, Dean. Look it up”, I said, shaking my head.</p><p>My phone rang in my purse. It was Raul.<br/>“Hey, handsome!”, I smiled. Dean sent me a small smile.<br/>“Hey Lulu”, Raul said quietly. I could tell something was up.<br/>“What’s wrong?”, I asked.<br/>“I’m in the police station…”.<br/>“Why?”, I gasped.<br/>“Megan… I found her dead behind the bar a after closing time. Called the cops… Mami, they think I did it!”.<br/>I began heaving. Dean grabbed my free hand.<br/>“Megan’s dead?”.<br/>“Lulu, I didn’t do it”.<br/>I frowned.<br/>“I know. I’m coming to get you”, I said.<br/>“You can’t… they’re not gonna let me go”, Raul whimpered.<br/>“Did they arrest you? Officially?”, I asked.<br/>“No, but…”.<br/>“Then they can’t keep you. I’m coming”.<br/>I hung up the phone.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Lou?”, Dean asked seriously.<br/>“Raul’s in the police station. He found one of our waitresses dead behind the bar”, I said. “I have to go get him.<br/>“Lulu…”, Sam began.<br/>“He didn’t do it!”, I said. “He wouldn’t… This last year, he’s been my closest friend. When I told him about the time I almost got robbed while waitressing, he taught me how to protect myself… He was the one who showed me the thumb trick”.<br/>Dean looked determined.<br/>“Then let’s go get him”.</p><p>---</p><p>Within ten minutes Sam and Dean were both dressed in suits; and we were on our way to the police station where Raul was held.<br/>I’d borrowed a flannel to go with the moose-sized sweatpants – and when we arrived at the station, I went straight up to the front desk.</p><p>“I’m here for Raul Marquez”, I said.<br/>The officer behind the counter looked me over.<br/>“Mr. Marquez is being held under suspicion of murder…”, he said.<br/>“You haven’t arrested him; so, you can’t hold him. He’s coming with me”.<br/>“Actually…”, the officer began.</p><p>Dean and Sam stepped up behind me.<br/>“Officer, I’m agent Young”, Dean said, and flashed his fake badge. “This is agent Johnson. We are working the case on the missing college students”.<br/>The officer smiled.<br/>“Yeah, I remember you! You were here a few days ago”.<br/>“Right”, Sam said. “We believe Mr. Marquez might be a witness, and we need to take him into federal custody”.<br/>The officer frowned.<br/>“The young woman in the alley… She was exsanguinated”.</p><p>I swallowed hard. Dean discretely squeezed my hand.<br/>“Has she been officially ID’d?”, he asked.<br/>“Her parents are on their way from Alaska, so no”, the officer said.<br/>Sam narrowed his eyes.<br/>“We’re going to need to see the body”.<br/>“That’s not possible, before she’s been ID’d”, the officer said, shaking his head.<br/>“Well, Miss Moore here is her coworker”, Dean said. “She should be able to give a positive ID”.<br/>The officer’s eyes lit up.<br/>“It would certainly speed up the process. Do you mind, miss?”.</p><p>Dean squeezed my hand again.<br/>“No…”, I croaked.<br/>“After we’ve seen the body, we’re taking Mr. Marquez with us”.<br/>“I suppose we’ll have no choice…”, the officer began.<br/>“No, you don’t”, Dean confirmed; narrowing his eyes.</p><p>We were taken to the basement level of the station. It was cold; and I rubbed my arms to keep warm. Dean took off his suit jacket, and put it over my shoulders.<br/>We came up to a door with a sign that read Morgue.<br/>“Ok… I’m not… This is a little much”, I croaked.<br/>“We need you to be able to see the girl”, Dean whispered. “You can do this, Lou”.</p><p>We stepped inside the room, where a man in a white coat opened one of the many hatches, and pulled out a gurney. Someone was laying on it, covered by a white sheet.<br/>My hands were shaking.<br/>“You’re doing great, Lulu”, Sam muttered.</p><p>With a hand on my back, Dean led me forward, towards the body. The technician pulled down the sheet, revealing Megan’s face and bare shoulders. She looked skinnier – greyer – but it was her. Tears began welling up in my eyes.<br/>“It’s her”, I said quietly.<br/>“I’ll tell the detective in charge of the case”, the technician said.<br/>“We’re going to need a moment to examine her ourselves”.<br/>The technician frowned, but nodded; and left the room.</p><p>Once he was gone, I almost toppled over. Dean pulled me close.<br/>“I’m so sorry, sweetheart”, he whispered into my hair. He kissed my forehead. <br/>Sam lifted Megan’s arm.<br/>“Dean… The cuts. They’re the same as on Chad Collins’ arms”.<br/>Dean let go of me, and stepped over to look at Megan.<br/>“This is weird, Sammy. With Terri, that makes it two in one week… Not keeping in pattern”.</p><p>“Huh”, Sam said, lifting the sheet a bit, to look at Megan’s legs. “It might be keeping up with a different pattern, though. Look at this”.<br/>I stepped up behind the two men, and saw that Megan had a large birth mark on her thigh.<br/>“Beautiful girl; but not perfect”, Dean muttered. “Dumped in an alley”.</p><p>“Can we leave?”, I whispered.<br/>Sam looked at me with apologetic eyes.<br/>“I don’t think there’s much more Megan’s body can tell us”.<br/>“Let’s go get Raul”, Dean agreed.</p><p>---</p><p>A few hours later we were all seated in Raul’s apartment. He was shaken.<br/>“She just disappeared, and then I found her as I was taking out the trash after closing time… She had blood all over. It was horrible”.<br/>I wrapped my friend in my arms, and kissed his forehead.<br/>“Did you see anything strange last night? Anything at all?”, Sam asked.<br/>“Besides the dead girl?”, Raul frowned. “No… nothing out of the ordinary. Only that chick who came up to me with her number, and the picture of the busty blonde”.<br/>“Yeah, they know about her. Miss my-skin-is-so-perfect…”, I muttered.<br/>Raul shook his head.<br/>“No… didn’t you notice she had all those lines around her eyes?”, he said. “I was gonna give her the number to my guy; but I thought it might be rude, because she was looking for her friend”.</p><p>Something surfaced in my mind – something from a book I’d once read.<br/>“Raul, did you get any sleep last night?”, I asked.<br/>“No, mami. I’m beat”, he admitted.<br/>“Let’s get you to bed, huh?”, I said, and grabbed his hand to lead him to his bedroom.<br/>“We have a few more questions…”, Dean grunted.<br/>I looked at him meaningfully.<br/>“No…”, I said.<br/>“But…”.<br/>“No! You really don’t”. He narrowed his eyes at me, and nodded.</p><p>I tucked Raul in; and quickly changed in to some fresh clothes from my drawer in his dresser. Jeans and a t-shirt – and actually wearing underwear again – made me feel more human.<br/>I walked back into the living room, and closed the door behind me.</p><p>“We really did have more questions…”, Dean said.<br/>“The Blood Countess”, I said; ignoring his words. “Heard of her?”.<br/>Sam furrowed his brow.<br/>“Yeah, she’s a fairytale, right?”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“No, she was an actual countess from the late 1500’s Hungary”, I said. “I wrote my college application essay on her”.<br/>Dean shrugged.<br/>“What about her?”, he asked.</p><p>I sat down on the couch again.<br/>“She’s said to have murdered hundreds, maybe thousands of young beautiful people, to bathe in their blood”, I recalled. <br/>“Ew. Why?”, Dean grimaced.<br/>“She thought their blood would keep her young. Most of the bodies were never found”, I said. “She was too powerful to be stopped; but in the end, the king had her literally bricked in, in her chambers – having servants feed her through a small hole in the wall. One day, she didn’t push the plate back out, and they assumed she was dead”.<br/>Sam let out a soft laugh.<br/>“You’re saying this… countess…”.<br/>“Erszebet Bathory”, I nodded.<br/>“Erszebet, sure”, he nodded. “You’re saying she survived?”.<br/>I grinned.<br/>“A little over a year ago I’d never have believed anything like it… But then a maren decided to piggyback my body to steal the last breath of people all over town”. I shrugged. “At this point, I’ll believe almost anything”.</p><p>Dean stood up, and ran a hand over his face.<br/>“Dude… She might be on to something”, he said. “All those young perfect looking people disappearing; except for Megan, who got dumped in an alley”.<br/>Sam seemed to ponder his words.<br/>“Because she wasn’t perfect. She had a birthmark”.<br/>Dean nodded.<br/>“Seems Chad just got lucky Erzsebet found his tail in time for him to survive”. He stepped over to me, and pulled me up to stand; planting a soft kiss on my lips. “Lou, I think you found our killer”.<br/>I blushed.<br/>“Unsub…”, I said. <br/>“Speaking of which… How do you know so much about being in custody of the police and serial killers?”, Dean asked.<br/>“TV”, I muttered. He chuckled.</p><p>“She took out two people in one week”, Sam muttered. “Straying from her pattern”.<br/>“She might be feeling the walls close in on her… scrambling to load up on blood before she moves on”, Dean replied. “Which means we have to find her soon – before she snatches up anymore hotties”.<br/>Sam frowned.<br/>“We still don’t know where she is… or how to kill her”.<br/>“Uhm…”, I said. “She was also suspected of being a vampire…”.<br/>Sam and Dean looked at each other.<br/>“No teeth marks”, Sam said.<br/>“No, but we don’t really have anything else to go on”, Dean retorted.</p><p>Dean’s phone rang.<br/>“Yeah?... This is agent Young…”. He looked confused for a second. “She’s back?... Yesterday?... Yes, we’ll come down and interview her”. He hung up.<br/>“What?”, Sam asked.<br/>“Terri’s been found. Apparently, she got away yesterday afternoon, and has been hiding out at a friend’s place”, Dean muttered. “She didn’t want to go to the cops; but her friend convinced her to go this morning”.<br/>“We need to get back to the station”, Sam said.</p><p>Dean looked at me.<br/>“Are you going to be ok, after everything?”, he said; voice earnest:<br/>“Yeah”, I smiled. “It was just a lot to see Megan like that. I’ll be fine. Have to go to work later, anyway”.<br/>He shook his head.<br/>“I don’t want you at work until we find Erszebet”.<br/>“Sunday Night Happy Hour. Raul can’t go. I have to be there”, I explained.<br/>“Dean’s right, Lulu”, Sam said.<br/>I shrugged.<br/>“She already had her victim of the week”, I muttered. <br/>Sam shook his head.<br/>“She hasn’t though. Megan wasn’t perfect, and Terri got away”.</p><p>“Still… I’m not really her type”.<br/>Dean frowned.<br/>“What’s that supposed to mean?”.<br/>“Young, hot and perfect…”.<br/>He chuckled.<br/>“Sugar, you have no idea how wrong you are”.</p><p>I blushed. <br/>“Doesn’t matter. I’m still going to work”, I said. “Life doesn’t stop because a 16’th century countess decides to go on a rampage”.<br/>“I don’t like it”, Dean muttered.<br/>“Well, deal with it”, I smiled. “It’s how it’s gonna be”.<br/>“Just call us, if anything seems off”, he said seriously. “Anything”.<br/>“I will”, I nodded. “Go. Do your job”.<br/>Dean gave me a quick kiss, and went to leave with Sam – before changing his mind, turning around, and laying one on me so passionately; my knees began shaking.<br/>“Ok. Now I can go”, he said; and the brothers left.</p><p>---</p><p>I napped on Raul’s couch for a few hours; as I hadn’t exactly gotten any sleep the night before. Raul woke me up just in time for pizza and another few episodes of Drag Race. He was feeling better, but agreed when I suggested he not go to work that night.</p><p>At the bar, I was lucky that – in spite of it being Happy Hour – it was a slow night. <br/>I was serving a few patrons; when the girl who had been looking for Terri came up to the bar. She looked tired, and I realized Raul had been right about the lines around her eyes. They were actually deep crow’s feet – making her seem much older than her college student age.<br/>I smiled brightly at her.<br/>“You must be happy!”, I said. “I heard they found Terri”.<br/>She blinked confusedly for a second.<br/>“They did?”, she muttered. “Right, they did. I forgot”. I frowned. “It’s been a crazy few days”, she smiled – revealing some furrows around her mouth as well.<br/>“I get it”, I chuckled. “What’ll you have?”<br/>“One of those awesome shots that cute bartender served us Friday night”, she said. “Have one with me”.<br/>I grimaced.<br/>“I got pretty sauced that night. Not sure shots are a good idea for me, but thanks”.<br/>She pouted.<br/>“Come on, just the one!”, she goaded.<br/>I relented, and poured us both a shot – clinking my glass with hers – and downing the drink.</p><p>The girl leant against the bar.<br/>“Those guys that were here that night… the ones that took you home?”, she said.<br/>“What about them?”, I said.<br/>She shrugged.<br/>“Cute… you hit that?”, she grinned. I cleared my throat in embarrassment. “Wow! Both of them?”.<br/>“No!”, I said.<br/>She wiggled her brows.<br/>“The blonde one?”, she said. “Yeah, I get it. And he was seriously eyeing you most of the night… Don’t blame him, either”. She winked at me.<br/>I smiled friendlily.<br/>“I’m sorry. I really appreciate it, but I’m not in to women”.<br/>She shook her head.<br/>“Oh, I’m not flirting with you. Just stating the obvious”.<br/>“Which is?”, I chuckled.</p><p>She tilted her head; letting her hair splay out on her shoulder. I noted a few grey strands among the dark ones.<br/>“You’re beautiful… Just a couple of years older than the regulars at this bar; but looks wise, you give them all a run for their money”.<br/>“That’s… really nice of you”, I said. I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t mean to pry, but… you seem a little older than the regulars here as well”.<br/>Darkness ghosted her face.<br/>“Yes… I spent a few years saving up for school before applying”.<br/>“Me too!”, I smiled. I poured us both another shot. “Here’s to elderly college students”.<br/>“Yeah…”, she half smiled, and clinked my glass – before we downed our drinks.</p><p>She licked her lips.<br/>“What’s your name?”.<br/>“Lulu. You?”, I asked.<br/>“Beth”, she smiled. “You know, we should hang out… when do you get off?”.<br/>“In a few hours”, I said. “But I might have plans”.<br/>“Blondie”, she grunted.<br/>“Yeah”, I smiled.<br/>She sighed.<br/>“Too bad… I think I’d have a lot of fun with you, Lulu”.<br/>“Vice versa, Beth”, I grinned. Some patrons were waving at me. “I gotta get back to work. Nice to chat with you!”.<br/>I walked over to the waiting costumers. When I looked over my shoulder to smile at my new acquaintance, she was gone.</p><p>Dean texted around 10 pm.<br/>- Have lead on case. Swing by later?<br/>I felt my heart skip a beat.<br/>- Take that shower we never got to?<br/>He answered within minutes.<br/>- Let’s get dirty first. Shower later. I’ll call you when I can.<br/>- Deal.</p><p>The night dragged on, and at midnight I hadn’t heard from Dean yet. I was worried our shower-date might be off. <br/>Closing up the bar, I grabbed the trash, and went into the alley, to throw it in the dumpster. I felt a chill down my spine, like someone was watching me; and decided to go back inside the bar.<br/>Making sure the front door was locked, I dialed up Dean.<br/>“Hey”, he grunted.<br/>“Sorry… catch you at a bad time?”, I said.<br/>“No, I’m sorry… Our lead turned out to be a bust”, he grumbled. “We drove for two hours, before reaching an empty warehouse, with no sign of Erzsebet”.<br/>I sighed.<br/>“I’m sorry… Guess that means you’re working tonight”.<br/>“Yeah”, he grunted. “This case is harder to crack than I’d hoped… Look, when this is over; why don’t I stick around a few days?”, he said. “We could… hang. You know?”.<br/>“I’d rather it does a little less hanging, and a bit more standing”, I grinned.<br/>“I think I can manage that”, he chuckled.<br/>“I’m sure you can…”.</p><p>There was the sound of glass shattering behind the bar.<br/>“Lou? What’s happening?”, Dean said.<br/>“I don’t know…”, I muttered, and walked behind the bar. The bottle of cheap shots had fallen on the floor, and the liquid was soaking the floor amongst glass fragments. “Just a bottle. I must have put down to close to the edge of the shelf”.<br/>“I should come by…”, he said.<br/>“No. It’s fine. Go… save people. Hunt things”, I smiled.</p><p>“Hello?”, a female voice called out. Beth was standing by the back door. “Door was open…”.</p><p>“Who’s there, Lulu?”, Dean said.<br/>“Just… a girl. The one who was looking for Terri”, I muttered.</p><p>Beth smiled.<br/>“You got blondie on the phone?”, she said. “I’m sorry your date was a bust”.<br/>“How did you know?”, I asked timidly.<br/>“Sweetheart, talk to me. What’s going on?”, Dean demanded.<br/>Beth walked towards me. Her moves were graceful – verging on regal.<br/>“I sent those beautiful boys far away. They won’t be here for a good while”, she smiled. <br/>I began backing towards the basement door.<br/>“Dean, where are you?”, I croaked into my phone.<br/>“Just outside the city”, he said. He wouldn’t be able to make it in time.</p><p>Beth – or Erszebet, as I realized her real name must have been – came behind the bar, and looked at the shattered glass on the floor.<br/>“Too bad. It was a cheap bottle, but the taste reminded me of home. Alcohol has improved since my day!”, she smiled. Her eyes were gaunt, her hair verging on completely steel-gray; and there were deep lines in her forehead.<br/>“Stay away from me…”, I breathed.<br/>“Lou, get out of there!”, Dean yelled.</p><p>With superhuman speed, the rapidly aging woman was suddenly standing less than a foot away from me. She smelled metallic – like blood.<br/>She grabbed the hand in which I was holding the phone, and pried it from my grasp.<br/>“Dean…!”, I managed; before she threw the phone over her shoulder – far away from my reach.</p><p>“I had the perfect specimen”, she said with a raspy voice. “Terri; with her perfect skin, and impressive assets… but she managed to slip away, as I was busy preparing my bath… I like candles and music with my spa-time”.<br/>Punch, punch, knee, Lulu, I heard Raul in my mind; and quickly raised my fist. She caught it mid-air, and twisted my hand so I was forced to get on my knees.<br/>“Please…”, I gasped.<br/>“Then, there was the perky brunette… Megan, I believe”, Erzsebet sneered. “Managed to drain her completely, before realizing I hadn’t checked her properly. That disgusting mark”. She winced.</p><p>“I-I have marks… scars”, I whimpered. “You don’t want me!”.<br/>She leaned in close – moonlight from the window hitting her face.<br/>“Look at me! Does it look like I have time to be picky at this point?”.<br/>She was right. I could see her skin deteriorating as she spoke.</p><p>Erzsebet – still holding me down – bent over and grabbed a shard of glass from the floor. She looked at it for a second, before slowly cutting into my arm; letting blood trickle down my skin. <br/>I gasped in pain.<br/>“There…”, she muttered. Putting a finger to the blood, she then rubbed it over her wrinkled hand – and her skin instantly began tightening. “Better… not enough. Come on”.</p><p>She pulled me up from the floor – and twisting my arm behind my back, while holding on tightly to my hair – she led me out from behind the bar.<br/>“We don’t have a lot of time; so, we’ll have to do it here. You don’t happen to have a tub laying around, do you?”.</p><p>Struggling against the woman did me no good – she was impossibly strong – and before long, I was tied down to a table with wires from the sound system; each of my arms dangling from the sides of it.<br/>Erzsebet had found two buckets, and placed them below my hands. She grabbed a larger shard of glass, and began cutting into my arms, letting the blood drip into the buckets below. The pain was excruciating.<br/>“This would be faster if you were hanging upside down”, she said; and seemed to begin looking for something long and strong enough to carry my weight.<br/>“Why don’t you just slice my throat and get it over with?”, I croaked.<br/>She shook her head.<br/>“That would kill you too soon. No, the blood has to come from a live source”. She stepped over to one of the large speakers by the small stage we’d sometimes have live performers play on. “Here we go!”, she smiled; and yanked out a chord from it.<br/>I clenched my fists, and tried to struggle against my restraints.<br/>“That’s just going to make the blood flow quicker, pretty girl”, Erzsebet chuckled.</p><p>I was beginning to get dizzy, even as I laid down. While I looked on in dazed panic; Erzsebet pulled of my shoes, tied the long chord around my ankles and legs – and stepped on to the table, putting her feet on either side of my waist.<br/>I wiggled my body to make the table fall over.<br/>“Lay still!”, she growled; and stepped down hard on my sternum – making all air leave my lungs. “That’s gonna leave a mark, you idiot. I need beautiful blood”.<br/>She threw the cord over one of the pillars in the ceiling, and jumped down from the table again. Untying my hands; she began walking backwards; pulling at the other end of the cord – and raising me up in the air, so that I was hanging upside down.<br/>She tied the cord to the railing of the bar, and moved the table away, to put the buckets under my bleeding arms.<br/>“There we go”, she smiled. “Now just hang there for a while. It’ll be over soon”.</p><p>Gasping for breath, I whimpered as I grew more and more dizzy and tired from the blood loss.<br/>“He… he’s going to kill you”, I croaked.<br/>“Don’t you get it?”, she snarled. “I can’t die! I can only grow old… and ugly”. She crouched down to look in my eyes. “You don’t know how that feels… to see all those young beautiful people in their prime; with no appreciation of what they have… When I first realized what I could do – how I could preserve my beauty and youth – it was one of my servants. She was brushing my hair, and pulled too hard; so, I smacked her across her beautiful face, and some of her blood hit my hand… I saw it instantly. My skin clearing up, all spots and wrinkles disappearing… It was magnificent”.</p><p>Her words sounded far away. It was shrouded by the sound of my pulse in my ears – slowing.<br/>“Please…”, I breathed.<br/>“That’s what she said, just before I cut a deep gash in her arm. I was sloppy in the beginning”.<br/>My skin was pins and needles, and I felt tears leaving my eyes, running over my forehead.<br/>“Don’t water down the blood!”, Erzsebet yelled angrily.</p><p>There was a crash.<br/>“Lulu!”. It was Deans voice. “Get away from her, you freak!”.<br/>Dean shot his gun at the woman, making her topple over, and fall backwards.<br/>“Sam, get her down”, Dean yelled, and his brother ran towards the bar, wielding a knife.</p><p>I felt myself getting lowered to the floor beneath me; but I couldn’t brace my fall – all strength having left my body.<br/>I heard a tussle, and furniture being thrown around. There was another gunshot; and then I was lifted from the floor, as Sam carried me towards a far corner – away from the fight.<br/>“Stay here”, he said. “You’re safe”.<br/>I couldn’t answer.<br/>Sam ran over to help his brother.</p><p>“This whole Death Becomes Her deal… it’s kind of sick, lady”, Dean growled.<br/>“Goldie Hawn wishes she had skin like mine!”, Erzebet snarled; and pounced on him – knocking him onto the floor. “You’re handsome… but too old”, Erzsebet said.<br/>“Rude!”, Dean growled.</p><p>I watched with blurry eyes, as Sam pulled his gun, and shot at the woman; so that she rolled off Dean.<br/>“How do we kill her?”, he yelled.<br/>Dean drew what looked like a machete.<br/>“Cut a vampires head of. Usually does the trick”, he responded.<br/>“I’m not a vampire! The books got it wrong”, Erszebet laughed.</p><p>She threw a table at Sam, who was trying to flank her.<br/>“What are you then?”, he yelled.<br/>“I’m a beautiful woman”, she smiled.<br/>I noticed Dean moving around Erzebet, just out of her line of sight.<br/>“I’ve seen better”, Sam said. He was trying to distract her. “I read that you we’re the most beautiful woman in the country… back in the day”.<br/>She hissed.<br/>“I was… I am!”, she sneered, stepping towards him. He backed away slowly.<br/>“I don’t know… Honestly, I’ve seen girls more attractive than you… much more attractive”.<br/>Erzebet’s wrinkled lips drew back in a vicious sneer.<br/>“I am beautiful!”, she screamed.</p><p>Dean was suddenly behind her.<br/>“Let’s see how hot you are, without your head”, he snarled; and slashed at her neck – decapitating her in one cut.<br/>Erzebet’s head rolled across the floor; mouth agape, and eyes rolled back.</p><p>“Lou!”, Dean called.<br/>“Here”, I said – my strained voice barely above a whisper.<br/>He ran over to me, and kneeled – pulling me into his arms.<br/>“Lou… baby, you’re gonna be ok”, he said. “We need to get her to a doctor”.<br/>Sam came over to kneel next to us. He looked at my arms with sad eyes. Both of them had deep gashes.<br/>“She’s nearly drained, Dean. We won’t make it”.</p><p>Dean put a hand to my cheek, and held me tight to his chest; looking into my dazed eyes.<br/>“No… no, no, no… You’re gonna make it, Lou. I’m not letting this happen!”. His eyes were the vision of indescribable pain. “Cas! Castiel; get your winged ass down here, right this moment!”<br/>“Dean…”, I rasped.<br/>“I’m here, sweetheart”. There were tears in his eyes. “Dammit, Cas!”.</p><p>There was a gust of wind, and the angel was standing over us.<br/>“I can’t come running every time…”.<br/>“Cas, Lulu’s dying. Help her!”, Dean growled.<br/>Castiel crouched down by us, and put a hand on my cheek.<br/>“It’s not my place, Dean… Death comes to everyone”.<br/>Dean looked at him with a furious expression.<br/>“Not her! Not Now!”, he growled. “I swear on everything that’s holy, Cas. If you don’t help her, we are done! Let the devil rise. I’m out!”.<br/>Castiel frowned.<br/>“I can’t put the blood back into her body”.<br/>“Get her out of here! Take her to a hospital”, Dean yelled.<br/>“You said…”, Castiel began.<br/>“Go!”.</p><p>Castiel’s brow furrowed; and he looked into my eyes.</p><p>Then I was in the angel’s arms. He was carrying me down a white corridor. <br/>“This woman needs help”, he called out. “She’s lost a lot of blood”.</p><p>People dressed in scrubs ran over to us, and I was put on a gurney. When I looked at where Castiel had been standing, he was gone.<br/>I blacked out.</p><p>---</p><p>My nose was itching. There was something in my nostrils, and I reached for it.<br/>“Miss, you need to leave that in. It’s oxygen”.<br/>I opened my eyes, and saw a kind looking woman beside me.<br/>“Where am I?”, I rasped.<br/>“You’re in the hospital, miss Moore”, she said. “Apparently, you fell on a steak knife… multiple times”. She raised a brow at me.<br/>“Oh…”, I whispered.<br/>She took my hand.<br/>“You know, sweetie… sometimes, life can be hard. But ending it all like this… You have everything to live for”.<br/>“I didn’t…”, I croaked. “I-it was an accident”.<br/>She nodded.<br/>“If you say so”.</p><p>I swallowed – realizing my throat was dry.<br/>“How long?”, I whispered.<br/>“You’ve been out a little over a day”, she said. “There are a couple of men out in the hallway. They say they’re family… Refuse to leave. Are they your brothers?”.<br/>I clenched my jaw.<br/>“They’re… brothers”, I said.<br/>“Ok, I’ll let them in”.</p><p>She left the room, and shortly after Dean and Sam entered the room.<br/>Dean almost ran to my side.<br/>“Lou… How are you feeling?”, he asked; his eyes deep in worry.<br/>“Alive… and in pain”.<br/>I looked down at my bandaged arms. Dean grabbed my hand.<br/>“I’m so sorry… I should have been there”.<br/>I shook my head.<br/>“I should have listened to you”.<br/>He raised his brow.<br/>“Yeah, you should have”.<br/>“Now’s not the time”, Sam muttered. “They gave you some blood, Lulu. You’re gonna be fine. Just need to rest”.</p><p>I sighed.<br/>“I’m thirsty…”.<br/>“I’ll get you some water”, Sam said, and left the room.<br/>Dean squeezed my hand.<br/>“I must look like a million bucks”, I muttered.<br/>He smiled.<br/>“You’ve never been more… Actually, you look kind of crappy, yeah”.<br/>“Thanks”, I chuckled; before wincing from pain in my abdomen.<br/>“You have some bent ribs”, Dean said. “I should have killed her slowly…”.<br/>I furrowed my brow.<br/>“She’s gone…”, I said.<br/>He nodded.<br/>“We burnt her remains”.</p><p>I looked into his eyes.<br/>“You saved my life again…”.<br/>His gaze softened.<br/>“You saved many more, by figuring out who she was…”, he said. “You did good”.<br/>“I’m not a hunter”, I said.<br/>“No”, he said. “You’re not”.<br/>I felt tears betray me.<br/>“But you are… and you have to leave”.</p><p>Dean sighed.<br/>“I wish… things were different”, he muttered. “I have a job to finish”.<br/>“The one with Castiel”.<br/>He nodded.<br/>“I owe him… He brought me back from Hell”, he said. “And now he helped save you as well”.<br/>I sniveled.<br/>“When do you leave?”. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Dean?”, I croaked.<br/>“As soon as possible”, he muttered. I sighed. “I’ll try to come back soon”, he said, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smile.</p><p>Sam returned with a glass of water and a straw, holding it for me so I could take a sip.<br/>“Thank you”, I whispered. “The devil, huh?”.<br/>“You caught that”, Dean muttered. “Yeah… we’re kind of fighting against the clock here. Trying to save the world”.<br/>I nodded.<br/>“Then you should go”, I croaked. “Wouldn’t want all existence to end on my account”.</p><p>Dean sighed.<br/>“The things we’re fighting right now… They’re bad”, he said.<br/>“What are you saying?”, I asked confusedly.<br/>Sam looked at his brother meaningfully.<br/>“He’s saying we may not…”.<br/>“Don’t… finish that sentence”, I whispered. Dean wouldn’t meet my eyes. <br/>“We’ve left some wards around the bar and at your apartment. It should keep anything nasty out”, Sam muttered.<br/>I nodded.<br/>“Thank you”.<br/>Sam leaned over me, and planted a soft kiss on my forehead.<br/>“Take care, Lulu”, he said quietly. “I’ll give you guys a minute”. He walked out of the room, and sent me a smile in goodbye.</p><p>I took a deep breath; and tried desperately to ignore the pain it sent through my body. Deans brow furrowed, and he tried fluffing my pillow for me.<br/>“We’re meeting up with Cas and Bobby tomorrow”, he said. “See what the next step is”.<br/>“Just… don’t die on me again”, I croaked.<br/>He tried for a smile.<br/>“I’ll do my best”, he said. “If you see anything weird… If anyone…”.<br/>“I’ll call you”, I smiled.</p><p>He leant down, and put his soft lips to mine. Everything inside me was screaming; Tell him to stay! Say you need him in your life! – but no words escaped my lips.<br/>“I don’t know how to say goodbye”, he breathed.<br/>“Then don’t”, I whispered; meeting his forehead with my own.<br/>“Lou…”.<br/>“Just… go save the world”.</p><p>He kissed me a final time, turned around and left the room.<br/>I waited until the door was closed, before I let my tears fall.</p><p>---</p><p>2 weeks later.</p><p>“Raul, I can walk!”, I complain, as my friend carries me up the stairs to my apartment.<br/>“You just spent two weeks in the hospital, after being attacked by a deranged serial killer!”, he says. “Lolita, you need to rest”.<br/>I chuckle.<br/>“I need to get back to work!”.<br/>He puts me down outside my door, and as I’m about to turn the key, I notice a strange carving on the door – some sort of sigil. My protection wards; curtesy of the Winchesters.</p><p>Inside my studio apartment Raul props me up on the couch, and serves me homemade chicken soup.<br/>“Do you want me to stay?”, he mutters.<br/>I shake my head.<br/>“No. You have that date, remember?”, I say.<br/>Raul blushes.<br/>“Yeah… I kind of got over the whole tail thing, when Chad decided to give me an alibi for Megan’s murder”, he says. “I still feel awful about what happened to her.<br/>“Me too”, I say quietly. “What she went through…”.<br/>“You’d know from experience, huh?”, Raul says. He sighs. “Look, call me if you need anything; ok, mami?”.<br/>I nod, and Raul gives me a kiss on the cheek, before saying goodbye.</p><p>I’m about to nod off a few hours later, when my phone rings.<br/>“Hello?”.<br/>“Lou… hey, it’s me”.<br/>“Dean…”, I breathe. “Is everything ok?”.<br/>“Yeah. I just wanted to check on you. Hear your voice”, he says.<br/>“I’m ok… just got out of the hospital. No lasting injuries”, I respond.<br/>“Good… I’m glad”. There’s a moment of silence. “These next few days… Things are gonna happen. I don’t know how it will end”.<br/>“Are you going to be ok?”, I croak.<br/>“Honestly… I don’t know”. He sighs. “Look… I just want you to know…”.<br/>“I know…”, I whisper.<br/>“Whatever happens, I’m going to make sure you’re safe”, he rumbles. <br/>“What about you?”, I ask. “I don’t want you hurt”.<br/>“I have to finish this”, he says. “I’m sorry, but I have to go… Please stay safe. I need to know you’re out there”.<br/>“I am… here”, I croak.<br/>“Take care, Lou”.<br/>“Dean…!”. He’s already hung up.</p><p>---</p>
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